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78 THE CONDOR Vol. XVII dark, almost blackish, smoky gray, possibly from continued contact with the dark peaty soil, though I am inchned to believe the change a natural one. In mela.nia this down is a shade lighter than in socorroensis, which strikes one as rather peculiar considering that in later life melania is the darker of the two. As for the great variation in the amount of white (or total absence of it) to be found on the rump of socorroensis, I prefer to leave that point to others infinitely more competent to discuss it than I am. However, it may be men- tioned that earlier in the season (late June, 1913) the majority of birds showed at least a trace of white, while of those taken August 13 of the present year only about one in four showed the above mentioned character. Pasadena, California, September 10, 1914. BIRDS OF A BERKELEY HILLSIDE By AMELIA SANBORN ALLEN V?'ITH FOURTEEN' PHOTOGRAPHS ON SEVEN FIGURES OR the past three years I have been living in Stra?vberry Canyon. Our house is in the middle of a dense grove of young live-oak trees, on the southern ?vall of the canyon opposite the University dairy, and to the Fig. 29. GENERAL VIEW OF STRAWBERRY CANYON LOOKING EAST, SHOWING THE LOCATION OF THE HOUSE (UPPER/?EOST) AND ITS SURROUI?IDINGS Photo by Amelia S. Alien. south and west of the swimming pool. The house faces south and up the hill. To the west are three unimproved lots, one of woodland, the others partly open, with several rather large pine trees. To the north and east the oak forest is continuous, interspersed with bay trees; and there is a dense under- growth of hazel, cascara, poison oak, spiraea, wild rose, snow-berry, wild cur- rant, blackberry and brakes, with thimble-berries and ?vild parsnip filhng the cross ravines. On the eastern side, our lot is bounded by the University cam-